Various systems are known for allowing a person to communicate an electronic message with another person via a communications path or channel. Such systems may be used, for example, to communicate an alert message from a message sender to a recipient. Such an alert message may be required when, for example, a person requires medical assistance (for example, as a result of an injury), or perhaps has health or security concerns.
One system for establishing a communications channel suitable for communicating an alert message involves a user wearing a portable device, such as a pendant, that includes an “emergency call button” for activating a short range radio frequency (RF) transmitter. On activation of the “call button” the portable device transmits a signal to a local receiver unit (or ‘base station’) that is hard-wired to a public switched telephone network. The receiver unit typically includes a microphone and speaker.
On receipt of the signal transmission from the portable device, the receiver unit automatically dials a pre-programmed communications service, which may be an emergency or monitoring service, via the PSTN. Once the call is connected, the recipient may receive a preprogrammed message or, in some cases, may be able to establish a 2-way voice channel with the recipient using the microphone and speaker provided with the receiver unit.
In systems of this type, each portable device has a unique association with a particular receiver unit (or ‘base station’) such that a receiver unit is pre-programmed to respond to signal transmissions originating only from the associated portable user device. Consequently, in order to establish a communications path with a recipient, the portable device must be located sufficiently close to the receiver unit (which is usually a fixed position unit) so as to allow the portable device to communicate with the local receiver. In addition, to be effective, the wearer must remain within range of the receiver unit.
In view of the above, such systems typically have limited flexibility in operation since the receiver unit is unable to communicate with other than the uniquely associated portable device, and thus is unable to act on transmissions from other portable devices. Furthermore, even in systems which support voice channel communication between the wearer and the recipient, that support is restricted to a 2-way communications channel.
Further techniques for establishing communication links suitable for communicating an alert message have been developed using public land mobile network based communication systems. Indeed, existing mobile phone technology may devices may also be used to establish a communications link between a user and a recipient for communicating an alert message, such as via a conventional mobile call or SMS message. Mobile phone based systems provide wider coverage that systems of the type described above. However, the operation and suitability of mobile phone devices for communicating an alert message is somewhat limited to the extent that, in an emergency situation, using a conventional mobile phone and PLMN system to communicate an alert message may introduce undesirable delays in communicating the alert message to a recipient. In addition, in circumstances, for example, where a recipient is a ‘guardian’ (such as a parent) of the mobile phone user (such as a child or an elderly person), the guardian cannot modify their contact details stored in user's mobile phone to account for a temporary or permanent change in those details, without having access to the phone or by informing the user to modify the recipient's contact details.
It would be desirable to provide a communications system that was flexible in its operation so as to be easily configurable by either the user or the intended recipient of a communications message, such as an alert message, via a communications channel.
The discussion of the background to the invention herein is included to explain the context of the invention. This is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of this application.